Fresh Gatherings Café announces the start of the fourth season of Fresh Gatherings' Harvest. This is a community supported agriculture (CSA) program that will partner with local farmers to supply quality, local produce.

Friend and member of the Saint Louis University community have the opportunity to support local farmers and Fresh Gatherings by purchasing a share of local produce. This means Fresh Gatherings will try to source produce grown within a 150-mile radius from SLU and it will be grown in an environmentally friendly manner that is beneficial for the earth and consumers. The program begins May 18 and runs through Sept. 28.

What is a share of local produce?A share will have about 15 pounds of produce harvested weekly by local farmers. The variety and amount available each week depends on seasonality and the farmers' yield. As a member who purchases a share, customers agree to pick up the produce every Friday between 3:30-6 p.m. at Fresh Gatherings Café.

New Fresh Gatherings MarketNew this year is the Fresh Gatherings Market. The market will also be open on Fridays during the CSA season from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It will feature local produce, milk, eggs, bread, as well as recipes for utilizing the available produce. Customer do not need to be a member of the CSA to patronize the Fresh Gatherings Market.

To learn more about the program, attend an informational meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 25, in Fresh Gatherings Café. RSVP for the meeting at veggie@slu.edu.

Those who are unable to make the meeting but would like to know more are invited to contact the department via email at veggie@slu.edu or call 314-977-8523. Information can also be found at freshgatherings.com.

About Fresh Gatherings CafeFresh Gatherings Café is a sustainable cafe located in the Allied Health Professions Building run by the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics within the Doisy College of Health Sciences. The goal of the cafe is to support run the cafe in an eco-friendly way, support local farmers and provide the patrons with menu items using local products.